"I shall never be defeated in battle," he cried, "as long as I
fight with the sword of Tiew."

As soon as his army was ready he marched with it into countries
which belonged to Rome. He defeated the Romans in several great
battles and captured many of their cities. The Roman Emperor
Theodosius had to ask for terms of peace. Attila agreed that there
should be peace, but soon afterwards he found out that Theodosius
had formed a plot to murder him. He was so enraged at this that
he again began war. He plundered and burned cities wherever he
went, and at last the emperor had to give him a large sum of money
and a portion of country south of the Danube.

This made peace, but the peace did not last long. In a few years
Attila appeared at the head of an army of 700,000 men. With this
great force he marched across Germany and into Gaul. He rode on a
beautiful black horse, and carried at his side the sword of Tiew.
He attacked and destroyed towns and killed the inhabitants without
mercy. The people had such dread of him that he was called the
"Scourge of God" and the "Fear of the World."


III


Attila and his terrible Huns marched through Gaul until they came
to the city of Orleans. Here the people bravely resisted the
invaders. They shut their gates and defended themselves in every
way they could. In those times all towns of any great size were
surrounded by strong walls. There was war constantly going on